For The Love Of Coffee

Life has been a little rocky the past couple of months, so I haven’t had much to write that wasn’t on a serious or unpleasant topic. This evening though, I’ve been relaxing with a cup of butter pecan coffee after a day of cleaning and preparing food for Phoenix to eat over the weekend and thought it would be fun to write something about my love of coffee.

Huib has always been a coffee lover and used to grab one on our many trips to the Guelph mall while I had my usual hot chocolate or slushy – depending on the temperature outside. I always thought people were crazy to drink the stuff and wondered how they could stand in line for so long to get it. Around my fourth year of university though I began venturing outside my usual beverage selections and got hooked on Second Cup lattes – usually a mocha or caramel. I’d go grab one before class or even on my way to visit with Huib – he lived off campus about two blocks from a Second Cup.

About a year later, Huib and I moved in together and bought a Cuisinart coffeemaker and juicer with my air Miles as one of our first “together” purchases. One day when he was making a pot, he asked if I’d like a cup and of course I refused. Before getting one for himself though, he turned and asked why I liked lattes (usually with a double shot of espresso at this point) but wouldn’t even think of having a cup of coffee. I explained that every time I’d ever tried it, I couldn’t stand the taste because it was just too bitter. He just smiled and asked if he could try making me one and see how I liked it – of course I agreed, it was only polite, right?

Well…after that day I was hooked! Huib is dutch, he moved to Canada when he was about 6 years old, so likes his coffee strong. In my first cup of coffee he added two heaping teaspoons of sugar and some milk which made it no longer taste bitter, but sweet and well…tasty!

Over the years my love of coffee has not lessened, but instead of two or three heaping teaspoons of sugar and some milk, I add some Splenda and a little cream. I still love my Second Cup lattes, but have now discovered flavoured coffee and can’t live with out it. Each time we go “down south” we pick up a pound of two different flavoured coffees from Second Cup and usually a big bag of the Kirkland brand hazelnut vanilla from Costco. Huib has never been a chocolate fan, but one of his favourite flavoured coffees is Belgian chocolate. He still makes strong coffee and I’ve actually begun to find it hard drinking anything else.

Don’t you think it’s amazing to see how easily your tastes can change when the right person makes it?